Shreya Mantha Honored Among L’Oréal’s 2018 Women Of Worth

2 min

Shreya Mantha, an American Indian teen, started her foundation in the area of North Carolina to help at-risk girls, at the tender age of 13, back in 2014. Fast forward to 2018, Foundation For Girls has been recognized in WCNC’s “Carolina Has Heart” series.

When asked what inspired the young teen to take up this cause, she credits her late grandmother who passed away in December 2014 from pancreatic cancer. Her grandmother had one dying wish for her beloved granddaughter.

Mantha shared with WCNC, “Before she was about to pass, she told my younger sister and I that if there was one thing that we could do to help her and keep her memory alive, it would be to help at-risk girls in our community.”

Mantha’s grandmother was involved in a lot of community work in India. Her family used to teach at-risk girls on their porch! She further told WCNC, “There was so much need I knew that I had to do something. I couldn’t just wait for someone else to do it. I had to take action.”

Image Source: Instagram via Foundation For Girls

To the credit of the foundation, it has invested 15,000 hours into the community, held 305 workshops and reached out to 1,771 at-risk girls.

To Mantha the foundation is her way of giving back to the community she has received so much from. She believes it is important for people to give back to their community in order to progress as a whole. “If we all can’t come together as a community to support everybody, we won’t be able to progress and grow.”

“It’s so energizing to be able to give back and to give these girls what my parents have given my sister and I our entire lives,” she said.

Image Source: Facebook via Shreya Mantha

The teen is now being honored as one of L’Oréal’s 2018 Women of Worth, for extraordinary women who selflessly volunteer their time to serve their communities. She is the youngest ever recipient of the award and has received a $10,000 grant from L’Oréal. She told WCNC, “I’m so honored to be joining a group of amazing women from across the country.”

As the Foundation For Girls reaches the national and global level, Mantha is of the opinion that it is never too early to start making a difference.